Zanzibar for Christmas
 

I've been thinking of going with a group of friends to Zanzibar for
Christmas.

From Cape Town there are two obvious routes. One is to take the train
to Durban, then drive up to Mozambique, through Malawi (maybe taking in
Lake Malawi on the way) to Tanzania and then by boat to Zanzibar.

The other is to take the train to Johannesburg, then overland to
Gaberone, up to Lusaka and then onto the Tanzam railway to Dar.

I think that I favour the latter. I enjoyed my trip the other way on
the Tanzam railway.

It would, of course, be possible to do both, one there, the other back.


Is there a better routing? I don't see any point in getting involved
with Zimbabwe and both routes cut that out.

On the World Atlas, it looks as if there is road all the way up the
coast to Dar from Durban - is the road passable? Do you need a four
wheel drive vehicle? Are there other railways that I've missed out?

Is Zanzibar a good place for Christmas? Is there anywhere to avoid or
to stay that is particularly nice and/or cheap?


Any other suggestions?

Zanzibar for Christmas
 

wrote in message
oups.com...

snipped

Is Zanzibar a good place for Christmas? Is there anywhere to avoid or
to stay that is particularly nice and/or cheap?


A colleague of mine went there last Christmas. From what I recall, he said
he thoroughly enjoyed himself. I'll ask him about it when I see him next.


Any other suggestions?


Take a look at http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/. You might get some ideas
from there.

Zanzibar for Christmas
 

FreeSpirit_uk wrote:
wrote in message
oups.com...

snipped

Is Zanzibar a good place for Christmas? Is there anywhere to avoid or
to stay that is particularly nice and/or cheap?


A colleague of mine went there last Christmas. From what I recall, he said
he thoroughly enjoyed himself. I'll ask him about it when I see him next.

Thank you - that would be very useful!

Any other suggestions?


Take a look at http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/. You might get some ideas
from there.

I'll have a look.

Zanzibar for Christmas
 

"Peter H.M. Brooks" wrote in message

Peter is planning, or at least contemplating, a trip to Zanzibar

I've heard great things about it. Wouldn't it be frightfully hot at
that time of the year?

--
Moira de Swardt posting from Johannesburg, South Africa
Remove the dot in my address to find me at home.

Zanzibar for Christmas
 

Moira de Swardt wrote:
"Peter H.M. Brooks" wrote in message

Peter is planning, or at least contemplating, a trip to Zanzibar

I've heard great things about it. Wouldn't it be frightfully hot at
that time of the year?

I wouldn't have thought so, it is pretty well equatorial, so it should
be much the same all year round, with four or five degrees difference
between the 'hot' and 'less hot' seasons. On an island there should be
sea breezes and showers to keep it cooler but more humid. A quick look
around shows that the average temperature is around 27C, which is hot,
but not ridiculous (I've been at 40C in Abu Dhabi and 45C in the Sahara
- that's certainly hot!). I'd be inclinded to go for a room with air
conditioning. Cold beer and G&Ts go down well in that sort of weather.
It's much the same in Cape Town then, but dryer.

Zanzibar for Christmas
 

"Peter H.M. Brooks" wrote in message

I wouldn't have thought so, it is pretty well equatorial, so it
should
be much the same all year round, with four or five degrees
difference
between the 'hot' and 'less hot' seasons. On an island there
should be
sea breezes and showers to keep it cooler but more humid. A quick
look
around shows that the average temperature is around 27C, which is
hot,
but not ridiculous (I've been at 40C in Abu Dhabi and 45C in the
Sahara
- that's certainly hot!). I'd be inclinded to go for a room with
air
conditioning. Cold beer and G&Ts go down well in that sort of
weather.
It's much the same in Cape Town then, but dryer.

G&Ts go down well in any sort of weather.

--
Moira de Swardt posting from Johannesburg, South Africa
Remove the dot in my address to find me at home.

Zanzibar for Christmas
 

Moira de Swardt wrote:
"Peter H.M. Brooks" wrote in message

I wouldn't have thought so, it is pretty well equatorial, so it
should
be much the same all year round, with four or five degrees
difference
between the 'hot' and 'less hot' seasons. On an island there
should be
sea breezes and showers to keep it cooler but more humid. A quick
look
around shows that the average temperature is around 27C, which is
hot,
but not ridiculous (I've been at 40C in Abu Dhabi and 45C in the
Sahara
- that's certainly hot!). I'd be inclinded to go for a room with
air
conditioning. Cold beer and G&Ts go down well in that sort of
weather.
It's much the same in Cape Town then, but dryer.

G&Ts go down well in any sort of weather.

Well, that is undoubtedly true! Particularly pink ones with lime rather
than lemon.

Zanzibar for Christmas
 

I would start he
http://www.zanzibar.net/
if you haven't already.

We've had clients and taken groups there but not
for the beaches and water activities. Just the history
and cultural aspects (Stone Town, etc.)

It certainly will be hot.. and very humid.
Crowded? I have no idea what their holiday season
is like, but intuition suggests that Europeans would
be headed there, just as they are to the east African
coastal resorts. And the Western Cape!

Zanzibar for Christmas
 

"Peter H.M. Brooks" wrote in message
oups.com...

Moira de Swardt wrote:
"Peter H.M. Brooks" wrote in message

I wouldn't have thought so, it is pretty well equatorial, so it
should
be much the same all year round, with four or five degrees
difference
between the 'hot' and 'less hot' seasons. On an island there
should be
sea breezes and showers to keep it cooler but more humid. A quick
look
around shows that the average temperature is around 27C, which is
hot,
but not ridiculous (I've been at 40C in Abu Dhabi and 45C in the
Sahara
- that's certainly hot!). I'd be inclinded to go for a room with
air
conditioning. Cold beer and G&Ts go down well in that sort of
weather.
It's much the same in Cape Town then, but dryer.

G&Ts go down well in any sort of weather.

Well, that is undoubtedly true! Particularly pink ones with lime rather
than lemon.

I shall never forget the (young) barman in a motel in Musina many years ago,
who, after taking my order for a pink G&T came back after 5 minutes
searching, with the announcement that he couldn't find a pink gin! Only
white, meneer. Luckily the motel manager was with me, and he 'gently'
explained what a pink gin was.

Zanzibar for Christmas
 

On 27 May 2006 02:55:40 -0700, wrote:

I've been thinking of going with a group of friends to Zanzibar for
Christmas.
Great idea. You'll have a ball.


From Cape Town there are two obvious routes. One is to take the train
to Durban, then drive up to Mozambique, through Malawi (maybe taking in
Lake Malawi on the way) to Tanzania and then by boat to Zanzibar.
If you take this route, then you MUST plan time in Malawi. Lake Malawi
is fantastic. Also, plan to spend some time in Mozambique as well.


The other is to take the train to Johannesburg, then overland to
Gaberone, up to Lusaka and then onto the Tanzam railway to Dar.

I think that I favour the latter. I enjoyed my trip the other way on
the Tanzam railway.

It would, of course, be possible to do both, one there, the other back.


Is there a better routing? I don't see any point in getting involved
with Zimbabwe and both routes cut that out.

On the World Atlas, it looks as if there is road all the way up the
coast to Dar from Durban - is the road passable? Do you need a four
wheel drive vehicle? Are there other railways that I've missed out?
Peter, there is a road all the way up fro Durban to Mozambique that
ends at Palma on the Tanzania border. It is possible to do this road
with a two wheel drive vehicle, but there are sections of the road
that will be difficult in the rain, and there are sections that are
pretty lousy. A 4 Wheel drive vehicle will be a better choice. (Diesel
is readilly available, petrol is available but not reliably so.)

The problem is crossing the river at Palma. There are rumours of a
ferry to Mtwara, but I can't confirm this. The more common route
through Mozambique is to head to Tete, and then into Malawi.

Thanks largely to the Rhodesian air force in the 70's, there is no
rail infrastructure in Mozambique.

Is Zanzibar a good place for Christmas? Is there anywhere to avoid or
to stay that is particularly nice and/or cheap?

Zanzibar will be quite busy at that time of year. If you're looking
for empty beaches and solitude, Zanzibar is the wrong place to be :-)
For empty beaches you need to look at northern Mozambique.

Regards,
Marc